Flange spreader



July 11, 1944. AUL v 2,353,623

FLANGE SPREADER Original Filed Nov. 30,1939

3'05. SAUL INVENTOR.

Patented July 11, 1944 UNITED STAT FLANGE SPREADER Joseph Saul,Pasadena, Tex

Gearench Manufacturing Company,

assignor t Houston,

'Tex., a corporation of Texas Original application November 30,1939.Serial No. 306,808. Divided and this application June 2,

1941, Serial No. 396,265

3 Claims. (Cl. 254-100) to straddle the flanges The invention relates toa flange spreader of a type to be used in connection with the spreadingof flanges on pipelines, valve connections and similar structures.

In pipelines and various other structures where the parts are boltedtogether by flanged connections it is usually the practice to provide agasket or packing between the flanges to maintain a seal. When thesepackings or gaskets become worn or destroyed dueto pressure it isnecessary to spread apart the flanges so as to insert a new packing orgasket. Often times it is difficult to obtain a sufficient amount ofmovement between the flanges in order to move them apart to permit theintroduction of a gasket and to accomplish this the present tool hasbeen devised with a view of providing a flange spreader which can bequickly attached and which will enable the operator to exert asufficient force by use of the tool to spread the flanges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a flange spreader whichmay be readily attached and detached from the flanges.

Another object of the invention is to provide a rotatable head on thewedge spindle so that the head may be readily detached or replaced.

Other and further objects of the invention will be readily apparent whenthe following description is considered in connection with theaccompanying drawing wherein:

Fig. l is a side view of the spreader applied to a pair of flanges andillustrating the flanges as having been spread apart.

Fig. 2 is a section taken transversely and thru the frame or yoke of thespreader and illustrating the arrangement of the Wedge and spindle.

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. l to illustrate thconnection of the head to the spindle.

In spreading flanges the general practice is to drive one or more wedgesbetween the flanges by use of a hammer and in this manner to spread theflanges and thereafter attempt to replace or repair .the gasket orpacking. Such practice has been found to be dangerous however because ofthe fact that in working on the connection these wedges are liable tospring out of place and injure the worker. The present tool hastherefore been devised which can be securely affixed to the flanges andthe desired amount of spreading accomplished without danger.

The tool is seen in the side view in Fig. 1 and comprises a body, frameor yoke 2 which is made up of a base portion 3 and the arms 4 and 5extending therefrom. These arms are arranged l and 8 which are to beFlanges of this sort are usually bolted together and have the openingsor bolt holes ID therein. In the present instance the frames of the yoke2 may be attached to the flanges by a bolt 12. This bolt is arranged topass thru openings 13 in the ends of the arms 4 and 5 so that in thismanner the tool is secured to the flanges. A head 14 on the boltfacilitates its insertion and removal. An opening l5 may receive a pinto retain the bolt in position.

In order to apply the desired force to wedge the flanges l and 8 apart aspindle I6 is shown as threaded at 11 thru the base 3 of the frame. Thisspindle has a noncircular portion l8 thereon to which a wrench or othertool may be applied in turning it or a bar may be passed thru theopening l9 therein.

A wedge head 20 is positioned on the spindle and has the tapered faces2| on the opposite sides thereof which will engage the inner faces ofthe flanges I and 8. This head has a slot 23 therein so that it maystraddle the bolt [2 when it moves inwardly between the flanges. Thehead 25 is subjected to wear because it is this head which contacts theflanges and the head is there fore made removable as best seen in Fig.3. The end of the spindle I6 has an annular groove 25 therein where itfits into the socket 26 of the head 29. This construction is also seenin Fig. 4. The head 20 has transverse openings 21 therethru so that aU-bolt or wire 29 may be passed thru these openings 21 and will thusengage in the groove 25 to hold the head rotatably in position. In thismanner the head can be wedged in between the flanges as the spindleadvances due to its rotation.

The present application is a division of the prior copending jointapplication of Joseph Saul, Carl E. Olsen and J. A. Peterson, Serial No.306,808, filed Nov. 30, 1939, for a Flange spreader.

Broadly the invention contemplates a flange spreader which can bereadily attached and removed from the flanges and which will facilitatepreading of the flanges without danger.

What is claimed is:

1. A flange spreader including a yoke shaped body, a spindle threadedthru the base of the yoke, a pair of spaced arms forming the sides ofsaid yoke to straddle the flanges to be spread, means to attach saidarms to the flanges, and means on said spindle to penetrate between theflanges to spread them apart as said spindle is advanced, said firstmeans including a bolt to pass thru said flanges.

spread apart.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a device for spreading adjacentflanges of a pipe having aligned openings comprising in combination, aunitary body member including a central hub part and integral relativelyimmovable arm part extending downwardly therefrom in spaced relation,said hub part being provided with a threaded opening extendingvertically therethrough, a vertical screw in threaded engagement withsaid threaded opening of the hub part and having a lower end part whichextends downwardly between said arm parts, for entering between andapplying pressure to the said adjacent flanges, means at the upper endof said screw for rotating the same, and a rigid and unitaryhorizontally-extending rod having its opposite end portions associatedwith the lower end portions of the arm parts and having an intermediatebody part for engaging in the said aligned openings of the adjacentflanges and adapted to hold said body member and flanges againstrelative vertical movement when said screw is moved downwardly to applypressure against the adjacent flanges.

3. .As a new article of manufacture, a device for spreading adjacentflanges of a pipe having aligned openings comprising in combination, aunitary body member including a central hub part and integral relativelyimmovable arm parts extending downwardly therefrom in spaced relation-,-said hub part being provided with a threaded opening extendingvertically therethrough, a vertical screw in threaded engagement withsaid threaded opening of the hub part and having a lower end part whichextends downwardly between said arm parts for entering between andapplying pressure to the said adjacent flanges, means at the upper endof said screw for rotating the same, the lower end portions of the armparts being provided with horizontal aligned openings therethrough, arigid rod member having its opposite end portions extending through saidopenings in the arm parts and its intermediate portion being adapted toengage in the openings of the adjacent flanges so as to hold said bodymember and flanges against relative vertical movement when said screw ismoved downwardly to apply pressure against the adjacent flanges.

- JOSEPH SAUL.

